


The Stowaways

by Onthecyberseas



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Secret Relationship, The Jolly Roger, Vacation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2018-07-13 02:56:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7135637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onthecyberseas/pseuds/Onthecyberseas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma and Killian find that they are not alone on the Jolly Roger. Spoilers up to 4A.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by a dream that I had. Thanks to my beta for her help.

The Jolly Roger sailed through the water and Emma looked out at the calming waves as Captain Hook steered the ship he knew like the back of his hand. Emma was already starting to feel relaxed. She was tempted to run to the edge of the ship, climb the mast, and scream at the top her lungs, "I'm the king of the world," but she decided against it. She instead walked over to Killian, who offered her a flask of rum. She clinked it against his own and toasted to their adventure.

Over the past few months, the savior had become tired of saving. Emma was exhausted from having to relentlessly deal with every new threat that came into town. When she finally told Killian how she felt, he suggested that they take a vacation together. He offered that they sail around the world on the Jolly Roger, docking into different ports and exploring everything the Land Without Magic had to offer. Emma was hesitant about leaving her friends and family behind, but she soon changed her mind after assurances from her parents and that Henry would be in good hands. Besides, the idea of her and Killian relaxing on a beach somewhere was too tempting to pass up.

Killian frowned as he sipped from his flask. "Can you get me some more rum, love?" He gestured to the wheel that he was currently steering with his hook. “I would get it myself, but I need to steer.”

Emma smiled and kissed him. "As you wish," she said mockingly, using the phrase that he had said to her many times. She headed below deck and headed straight to the room where the rum was kept. She had spent enough time aboard to know where everything was.

Picking up an unopened bottle of rum, she headed back to the deck. She stopped short when she heard a noise coming from the room across from her. Carefully, she crept to the slightly ajar door. She peaked inside and fought to stifle the gasp that nearly escaped her, all the while preventing the bottle from slipping out of her hand.

On the bed in the middle of the room sat Ruby and Belle. Even more shocking than the fact that Ruby and Belle were on the Jolly Roger was the fact that they were kissing. She had no idea that the two were even together. She knew that they had grown closer in recent months as Ruby helped Belle in the aftermath of her break-up with Rumplestiltskin, but she didn't know that they were more than friends. Ruby cupped Belle's face so tenderly that Emma almost felt bad for witnessing their private moment. Emma heard Ruby say, "I love you," before she stepped away from the door.

Climbing up the stairs, Emma was greeted by the bright sun and Killian's even brighter smile. She walked over to him and handed him the bottle. "Thank you," he said as he opened the bottle with his hand and refilled his flask.

Emma contemplated how to tell Killian what she just witnessed. Killian noticed her hesitation and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Emma explained, "It appears that we have picked up a couple of stowaways." Killian tensed and Emma reassured him, "Relax, it's just Ruby and Belle."

"Ruby and Belle?" Killian frowned. "What the devil are those two doing on my ship?"

"They're in love," said Emma.

Killian looked even more confused, "When did that happen?”

"I don’t know," replied Emma. Killian squared his shoulders and headed for the stairs. Emma reached for his hook to stop him and Killian whipped around. "Wait," pleaded Emma.

"Why? They’re on my ship without my permission!"

"I'm sure they have a good explanation," Emma reasoned, "But we don't have to confront them right away." 

Killian’s expression softened. "What do you have in mind?"

Emma smirked, "They don't know that we know they're here. Let's catch them in the act and then have them explain. We can use the camera I brought to catch them."

Killian considered and smirked as well, "I like the way you think, Swan."

The next morning, Emma and Killian made sure to have a conversation in front of the door where Emma had found Ruby and Belle, making sure to detail when they would return. They got off the ship and hid behind a building. Sure enough, Ruby and Belle came off the ship holding hands. They turned to the right and Emma and Killian went in the opposite direction.

They spent the day visiting the locations of Emma's pre-Storybrooke life. Killian was fascinated by Emma's former life and Emma was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed the walk down memory lane. At lunch, they met some of Emma's old friends. They were initially apprehensive about Killian, but he quickly won them over with his charm and dashing good looks.

After a full afternoon of exploring everything Boston had to offer, Emma and Killian headed back to the Jolly Roger. Killian climbed aboard while Emma stayed behind, hiding out of plain sight. She didn't have to wait long before Ruby and Belle walked hand in hand back to the ship. Ruby looked around to make sure the coast was clear. She started to help Belle up when Emma came out of her hiding spot and called out to them.

They whipped around to face her, looking like they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar. "H-Hey Emma," Belle stammered, "It's good to see you. How's your vacation?"

"Great," Emma smiled, "It's so strange seeing you here, since I saw you both last night at my farewell party and you didn't mention anything about traveling."

Ruby and Belle shifted nervously. "It was an impromptu trip to be honest," Belle avoided Emma's eyes, "During your party, we realized that we wanted to have a girl's weekend, so we took a train up to Boston."

"We saw Hook's ship and we thought we would say hi," Ruby finished.

Emma smiled, "It's good to see you. You must be really good _gal pals_ to go on impromptu trips together." 

Both Ruby and Belle blushed. "We have gotten quite close," Belle admitted. They tried not to look at each other and Emma wondered why she hadn't sensed their relationship back in Storybrooke.

Gesturing to the ship, Emma said, "I should probably get back to Killian. Enjoy your time in Boston. Hopefully I'll see you when we get back."

Ruby reached out to hug Emma. "See you soon. Enjoy your vacation."

Emma boarded the ship and veered to the side. Out of sight, she watched Ruby and Belle sneak aboard the ship. Emma tiptoed behind them, following them to the room where Killian was waiting for them.

Ruby and Belle shrieked when they opened the door and they saw Killian. They backed up straight into Emma and the looks on their faces made the whole plan worth it. Killian held the video camera with ease, looking far too natural for someone who just learned how to work a camera last night. He gave her a thumbs up as he laughed behind the camera, indicating that their plan had been successful.

Ruby and Belle still had panicked looks on their faces and Emma realized that they were truly terrified at the prospect of being caught. Emma stopped laughing and gestured to the bed, "Sit down."

They complied and Killian stood up, "What the hell are you two doing on my ship?"

"Killian," Emma warned, "I got this." She turned to Ruby and Belle and asked, "Why did you sneak onto the ship? If you wanted to get away, you could have told us."

"Granny thought it would be best that we didn't tell anyone," Ruby explained.

Emma was even more confused. "Why?"

Taking a deep breath, Ruby began to explain. “After Belle ended things with Rumplestiltskin, she came to me for comfort. I helped her file an annulment and we spent a lot of time together.”

“A couple of weeks later,” Belle continued, “I realized that I was starting to fall for her and I kissed her one night. We started dating and we fell in love. Just as we were about to go public with our relationship, Rumple came back.”

Ruby’s eyes narrowed, “He was so determined to win Belle back that he wouldn’t stop pursuing her, even when she told him repeatedly that she wasn’t interested.”

“He threatened to kill the “man” that stole me from him, and that’s when we decided to leave Storybrooke,” Belle explained.

“Granny suggested that we sneak out in the middle of the night and we saw an opportunity when you told me you and Hook were going on vacation,” Ruby finished, “We thought it was best not to tell anyone where we were going, so we climbed aboard after your farewell party.”

Emma listened to the story, sympathizing with her friends. She decided in that moment that she would do anything to protect them. "What were you planning to do when we head back?"

Belle laced her fingers in Ruby's. "We were going to settle on a place and stay there. We're planning to elope and buy an apartment with the money Granny gave us from the diner."

Before Emma could respond, Killian cut in. "You can stay. We'll travel and see the world together and when you're ready, we'll drop you off wherever you want to go."

Ruby and Belle nodded appreciatively at him, "Thank you so much."

"Feel free to join us up on deck tonight. You don't have to hide anymore." They thanked him again and he strode out of the room.

Emma turned to the couple, "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're happy. You two are good for each other."

"Thank you Emma," said Ruby, "We wanted to tell you, but we were scared."

"I understand," Emma nodded in response. She left the room to give them privacy. 

Reaching the top of the deck, she found Killian preparing to set sail. "Thank you for letting them stay," Emma said.

Killian shrugged, “I know what happens to women who try to escape the Crocodile.” He bitterly took swig of rum. Turning back to Emma he said, “Besides I do seem to owe it to Belle after everything I’ve done to her.”

Emma smiled, “I know you wanted our vacation to be just the two of us.” Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw Ruby and Belle come up to the deck.

“It won’t be a problem, love,” Killian smiled, “I soundproofed the Captain’s Quarters of the Jolly Roger centuries ago. No sound coming in or out. I’m sure we’ll be able to coexist just fine.” 

Emma kissed him with everything she had. Ruby and Belle sat on the steps, Ruby wrapping her arms around a shivering Belle. “Thanks again for letting us stay,” Ruby said.

“It’s no problem at all,” Killian grinned as he pulled up the anchor. He started to sail the ship out of the Boston harbor. “Next stop, Manhattan,” Killian called out. Emma passed out bottles of rum to Ruby and Belle. They looked much happier than they had in recent weeks. Ruby and Belle clinked their bottles against Emma and Killian’s flasks and the four drank to their new adventures together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though originally intended to be a one-shot I decided to expand the story into a multi-chapter. Thanks to my beta for her help with the story!

As night fell over the Jolly Roger, Ruby and Belle decided to retire to their bedchambers while Killian and Emma continued to steer the ship towards Manhattan. Once Ruby shut the door, Belle eagerly kissed her fiancée. "I'm so glad that we don't have to hide anymore," Belle said with a smile as she caressed Ruby's cheek.

Ruby smiled at the grin on Belle's face and nodded. "Me too. That went way better than I expected."

Belle kissed Ruby again and walked over to her suitcase, which held everything she could fit as she left most of her possessions behind in Storybrooke. Unzipping the front pouch, she pulled out a jewelry box. Opening the box, she pulled out the simple diamond ring nestled inside. She slipped it on her finger and admired it in the light of the nearby lamp. "I'm so glad that I can finally wear this in public," Belle said softly. "No more hiding."

"No more hiding," Ruby said as she admired her Granny's ring and how it fit perfectly on Belle's finger. She then took the time to admire Belle and how infectious her smile was and how happy her eyes looked as she looked at her. Her heart raced the way is did every time she looked at her. She thought about how lucky she was to be with her and how happy she had been since they began their relationship. "Are you excited to travel the world?"

Belle sat next to her as they both settled on the edge of the bed. "Of course, it'll be nice to explore this realm." Years of captivity had not allowed her to go on as many adventures for most of her life as she would have liked.

"I've never left Storybrooke before," Ruby said, "I'm glad to be doing all of this with you." They sat in silence as they felt the boat rocking on the water. Ruby's hand found Belle's and they held on to each other.

After moments of contemplation, Belle sat up and excitedly said, "Do you think we can ask Killian to borrow some pirate clothes?"

Ruby was confused by the question. "I guess? Why would we need them?"

Before Ruby could blink, Belle had her pinned to the bed as she climbed on top of her. "How many people can say that they had their honeymoon on an actual pirate ship?"

"Don't you need to get married before the honeymoon?" Ruby asked, enjoying the feeling of Belle on top of her.

Belle smiled, "Normally you would, but nothing about our relationship is normal." She leaned down and kissed her neck. "Besides, when will we get time to go on a honeymoon after we've picked a place to live and get married?"

Ruby flipped their positions quickly and grinned. "You're always right," she said. "If this really is our honeymoon, I plan to take full advantage."

Belle grinned at her, knowing that their evening was just beginning.

 

The ship pulled into the New York City harbor not long after, and Killian and Emma went to bed as soon as the anchor was dropped. They woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. "Good morning," Emma said, kissing his cheek as she climbed out of bed. "Ready for New York?"

"Aye," Killian said as he clicked his hook back into place and moved about the cabin for his clothes. "I hope my visit is better than the last two times I've been here."

Emma nodded as she dressed for the day ahead. "We haven't exactly had a good relationship with this city, have we?"

"Hopefully, this time will change our luck," Killian said with a hopeful smile. After a quick kiss, they finished getting dressed and went over to the room that Ruby and Belle were sleeping in. Belle answered their knock on the door and the four of them made their way off the ship.

They settled on a breakfast place and the four of them ate together before heading to Times Square. "That's a lot of people," Belle said, wide-eyed as other tourists swamped the area around them.

"Welcome to Times Square," Emma said with a grimace. "Most populated tourist destination in the city." She pointed over to the red booth in the center of the street next to a large set of bleachers covered with tourists. "That's where we need to go to get tickets."

"Broadway?" Belle asked. Emma nodded and Belle explained, "There was a book about Broadway in the library. I'd like to see Beauty and the Beast."

Emma led them over and they glanced at the board of shows. "I don't think Beauty and the Beast is playing anymore," Emma said, "But they do have Aladdin. That's what Killian and I were hoping to see."

Killian nodded. "Especially since that new Hamlet show is already sold out."

"You mean Hamilton?" Ruby asked as she looked at the shows on the board.

Nodding again, he said, "That's the one."

Belle cleared her throat, "You know, if you guys want to see a show by yourself, Ruby and I can do something else."

Ruby nodded in agreement. "We don't want to completely torpedo your plans with our presence."

Killian shook his head. "We can see the show together, but we can go our separate ways for the day."

Everyone agreed to the plan and Emma bought them four tickets to Aladdin. After making plans to meet for dinner, Ruby and Belle walked through the crowd while Emma hailed a cab for her and Killian.

"Empire State Building," Killian said quickly to the cab driver. Emma looked at him quizzically. "Isn't that where they met in that moving picture you made me watch?"

Emma's face lit up as she realized what Killian was hinting at. "In Sleepless In Seattle?" Killian nodded. "Yes."

"I thought we could see it for ourselves," Killian said.

Emma grinned as she kissed him. "I like the sound of that."

They pulled up in front of the building not long after. Emma paid the cab driver and they walked into the building. After talking to the security guard, they took the elevator up to the top of the building. As they stepped to the top of the building, they were breathless by the view of the city below them. "It's beautiful," Emma said as she reached for his hook.

He nodded in agreement. "I've seen many pretty sights over the years, and this is definitely at the top of my list."

"Thanks for taking me up here," Emma said. She leaned over and kissed him, running her hand on his cheek.

Killian smiled at the feel of her lips on his. "No problem, love. This trip is about you."

She pulled away and looked at the sight of the cars and people filling the streets below before turning back to him. "Thank you," she said, "I'm glad you convinced me to take this trip. Can you believe I've never been up here during any of the time Henry and I lived here with those other memories?"

He shrugged, "You were kind of preoccupied with that monkey."

Playfully, she punched his shoulder. He scrunched up his face, pretending to be hurt. "Ouch, Swan."

They stood overlooking the city for a couple more moments before taking the elevator back down to the street. They decided to walk around the city next and held hands as they pushed their way through the city traffic. Along the way, Emma stopped at a tourist shop with all kinds of merchandise with pictures of the city and the statue of liberty emblazoned on it. Upon seeing Killian's quizzical look, Emma explained, "I promised Henry that I would get him a souvenir from every place we went."

Killian smiled, "We'll have to take the lad on our next vacation."

Emma smiled at the implication that they would take more vacations together in the future. Pecking his cheek, she looked around the shop for something for Henry. 

During her search, she came across a statue of liberty hat and held it up to Killian. "I'm not sure he would like that," Killian said.

She shook her head, "It's not for him. I want you to try it on."

Killian shook his head as he stared at the hat like it was going to attack him. "I'll look ridiculous in that."

"Everyone looks ridiculous in it," Emma replied as she grabbed an identical hat off the rack and placed it on her head. "I want to take a picture."

Reluctantly, Killian put the hat on his head. Holding out her cell phone she took a quick selfie of the two of them. After showing Killian the picture, she texted the photo to her parents with the caption: Greetings From NYC! Killian put the hat back on the rack quickly, as though it burned his head. Emma laughed and put her own hat back on the rack.

They settled on buying Henry a snow globe that contained a model of the city inside. After paying for it, they stopped for a slice of pizza and then continued their tour of the city. Soon, the sun set on the city and Emma and Killian took a cab to the restaurant they agreed to meet Ruby and Belle at. The couple came up wearing matching I <3 NY shirts and holding several shopping bags. "Really?" Killian asked as he looked at the shirts with disgust.

Ruby shrugged, "It's our first time in the city." They were seated after several minutes and they caught up on their days. Ruby and Belle had spent the day seeing the sights of Central Park and then did some shopping around the city. Emma told them about their trip to the Empire State building. "Why didn't I think of that?" Ruby grumbled looking at her fiancée, who was now sporting her engagement ring proudly on her finger.

Belle placed her hand on hers, "The carriage ride was pretty romantic."

"It was," Ruby agreed as she smiled. They finished their dinner and then headed over to the theater.

They found their way to their seats on the upper level, and tried to settle into them. "They're very uncomfortable," Belle said as she put her bags down between her legs.

Emma shrugged, "They want to fit in as many people as possible."

Soon, the show began and the four of them were taken to the world of Agrabah. All four of them had seen the Disney movie at least once, and were surprised to find that there were a lot of differences between the movie and the Broadway adaptation. An intermission and a second half later, the show concluded and they walked out into the crisp New York air.

"So that's a Broadway show," Killian said, "I enjoyed it immensely." Ruby and Belle agreed and they decided to get some ice cream at a nearby shop. At the end of the night, the four of them climbed into a cab that took them to the marina where the Jolly Roger was docked.

Climbing onto the ship, the four of them said goodnight as the couples went to their bedroom. "That was fun," Emma said to Killian as they climbed into bed together.  
Killian nodded in agreement, "Aye." Before he could say anything else, Emma straddled him. He eagerly kissed her as they spent the evening wrapped up in each other.

The next morning, Killian dressed and went up to the top deck. Pulling up the anchor, he steered the ship out of the harbor and onto their next destination. Emma, Ruby, and Belle came up soon after and everyone was looking forward to the rest of their vacation.


	3. Chapter 3

A couple of days later, the Jolly Roger arrived at the coast of Florida. The four of them had made a couple of stops in various towns that dotted the coast on the way there, but all of them were extremely eager to get to their next destination. As soon as Killian docked the ship, the four of them found transportation to take them to where they truly wanted to go: Orlando.

“It looks even better in person,” Emma commented as the entrance to Walt Disney World came into view. Like most children, she had dreamed of going to the Magic Kingdom since she was a little girl. Finding out that she was actually the descendent of fairytale characters had only strengthened that dream. Now that she was there, it seemed like a dream come true. She glanced over at Killian, who was grinning at her enthusiasm.

Ruby and Belle has similar looks of awe as they took in the sights before them. The bus dropped them off in front of the hotel that Emma and Killian had rented for the next two days, and the four of them stepped onto the curb. Ruby and Belle got a room of their own and they took a couple of hours to relax in their respective rooms before meeting for dinner in the downtown area of Disney.

The next morning, the two couples met in the lobby and all of them were excited for the day ahead. As they arrived at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom, Killian and Emma waited as Ruby and Belle bought their tickets and the four went through the medal detectors before stepping inside the park.

They barely had time to take in the sights of Main Street before a cast member holding a camera greeted them. Though Ruby and Belle hesitated at getting their picture taken, they agreed to pose with Emma and Killian after some convincing.

Emma spotted Mickey and Minnie taking pictures in the center, and pulled Killian with her by his hook. Ruby and Belle followed and Ruby took a picture of the two of them with the costumed characters. Ruby then handed Emma her phone and Emma took Ruby and Belle’s picture. Once they finished looking at the pictures, they walked along Main Street, scouting the shops they would return to on the way out. Cinderella’s castle came into view and the four of them snapped a picture in front, handing Emma’s phone to a kind tourist who offered to take the picture for them.

After much debate, they decided to start their visit in Adventureland. Before they left, Ruby quickly said, “I’ll join you guys over there. I’m going to go get us dinner reservations.”

Belle looked curious, but Emma shared a knowing glance with Ruby. She ran through the castle and the others walked towards Adventureland. Killian’s eyes lit up at the sight of the Pirates of The Caribbean ride, but Belle insisted that they wait for Ruby. Killian scowled, but agreed to wait.

Ruby walked into the Adventureland moments later and ran over to them upon spotting them. Though Belle questioned what restaurant they were going to for dinner, Ruby simply smiled and said, “It’s a surprise.”

The four of them got into line for Pirates of the Caribbean, which thankfully wasn’t that long. Emma held Killian’s hand as they climbed into the front of the boat, while Ruby and Belle climbed into the back. The boat moved into the darkness as all of them experienced their first ever theme park ride.

As their boat arrived back at the loading station, they got off and made their way to the exit. “That was bloody brilliant,” Killian said with a grin. 

Emma, Ruby, and Belle couldn’t help but laugh. “Good to know that it’s pirate approved,” Ruby joked. After a quick look at the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop that the ride’s exit led them to, they decided to ride Jungle Cruise next. After that, they made their way to Frontierland, where they rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain before a quick lunch at one of the restaurants.

When they arrived at Fantasyland, the crowd was starting to multiply. Emma spotted the Peter Pan ride, but frowned as she saw the long line for the ride. Thankfully, Belle spotted a Fastpass kiosk and they picked up tickets before they decided to ride It’s A Small World as they waited.

As they came out of the ride, Ruby was absentmindedly humming the song under her breath as she held Belle’s hand. Emma spotted the Snow White ride and they walked over to it. Belle let out a squeal as she spotted the Beast’s castle a couple of feet away. “Can we go there next?”

“We’re going there for dinner,” Ruby explained, “I made sure to get reservations there.” 

Belle grinned and pecked Ruby on the lips. “Thank you.” Ruby smiled at her fiancée’s enthusiasm. She was thrilled that they didn’t have to hide how much she loved Belle here, and she hoped that she liked the surprise she had in store for her when they got to the restaurant later that day.

They quickly rode Snow White’s Adventures and the four of them laughed at how different their Snow White was from the Disney version. Finally, the time for them to ride the Peter Pan ride came and they were thrilled that their Fastpasses allowed them to bypass most of the line. They climbed into one of the pirate ships and they found themselves flying through the events of the Peter Pan movie. When Captain Hook appeared on the ride, Emma glanced at Killian. “You weren’t kidding about the bad perm,” Killian grumbled, a scowl etched onto his face.

Emma noticed that Killian’s scowl continued as they made their way through the rest of the ride. Their ship arrived back at the loading station and the four of them got off. Ruby and Belle looked eagerly at Killian and Ruby asked, “What did you think?”

“I’d like to speak to Walt Disney,” Killian said, “For his atrocious and incredibly inaccurate portrayal.”

Ruby and Belle giggled and Emma said, “Walt Disney has been dead for years, Killian.” She smirked, clearly enjoying her boyfriend’s reaction. 

“He made me a bumbling idiot with an terrible fashion sense, Swan!” Killian almost shouted. A couple of people looked over at them with confused expressions.

Emma put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Everyone is portrayed incorrectly here.”

Killian glared at a family staring at them. He turned back to Emma, shrugged, and finally calmed down. “I guess you’re right.”

As they stepped out of the ride, Ruby spotted a Captain Hook and Peter Pan posing for pictures nearby. She pointed it out to Emma and she smirked before dragging Killian over to get his picture taken with his Disney counterpart.

Killian scowled at the two characters, particularly at the costumed Hook. Emma, Ruby, and Belle were unable to stop laughing as Emma took the picture. As soon as the picture was taken, Killian walked back towards them. Emma showed Ruby and Belle the picture and they laughed at the look on Killian’s face. Killian pouted as Emma sent the picture to her parents and Henry. She made sure to assure Henry that they would definitely take him with them the next time they went traveling, as she knew her son would enjoy the park immensely.

Emma’s phone rang a couple of minutes later and she stepped aside to answer it, seeing her mother’s face on the caller ID. “Hello?” she answered.

“Having fun?” Snow asked. “Your father and I love the pictures, particularly the last one.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “How are things back in Storybrooke?”

Snow paused for a moment before answering. “Gold has gone mad, apparently Belle is missing.”

Emma froze, knowing that Ruby and Belle’s presence was supposed to be a secret. “Where could she have gone?”

“I don’t know,” Snow replied, “But I haven’t seen Ruby around anywhere either. Granny says she’s running errands for her in the Enchanted Forest, but I don’t believe her.”

Emma tried to keep her voice neutral. “I hope they turn up soon.”

A couple of moments passed and Snow asked, “Are they safe?”

Emma didn’t know what gave her away, but she knew that she could trust Snow. “Yes,” she said, “They are.” She didn’t know what Snow knew about the nature of Ruby and Belle’s relationship, and didn’t say anything else, as she didn’t want to be the one to reveal that secret.

“I won’t tell anyone,” Snow assured her, “I promise. I’m just glad they’re all right.”

Emma nodded. “Thank you.” She saw Killian giving her a concerned look and said, “I should probably go.”

“Enjoy the rest of your trip,” Snow said, “I love you.” Emma hung up and rejoined Killian, Ruby, and Belle.

“Everything okay, Swan?” Killian asked. She nodded and they resumed their vacation.

They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the rest of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. As the sun set over the Magic Kingdom, Ruby led the group back to Beast’s castle for dinner. She talked to the hostess, who seated them at a table in the center of the ballroom. Belle looked around the ballroom in awe. 

Though Disney’s version of her story was very different, she had still enjoyed the movie. It was the first movie that she and Ruby watched together on their first Girls’ Night. That was long before they had fallen in love, but the movie held a special significance to them.

Dinner was relatively uneventful, but their waiter brought out dessert with a rose. Ruby picked up the rose and held it out to Belle. She smiled as she took the rose from her. Her smile grew even wider as an instrumental version of “Beauty and the Beast” played on the speakers. Ruby looked surprised when Belle held her hand out to her. “I didn’t think you would want to.”

Belle simply pulled her out of her seat and led her to the floor. They danced in the center of the ballroom as many people stared at them. Killian and Emma joined them moments later, and soon other couples joined in as well.

Belle only had eyes for Ruby as she dipped her to the ground. “I know that you and him did this,” Ruby replied, “I figure you wouldn’t want to do it again.”

“It’s much better this time,” Belle admitted, smiling at her as Ruby led her around the dance floor. As romantic as it had been the last time, she had been heartbroken when she found out about Rumplestiltskin’s lies and manipulations. She never doubted that he loved her, but she knew that she would never truly be happy being his wife. Ruby was good, kind, and loving. Belle never questioned her intentions or her love for her. “Let’s not talk about him,” Belle said as she and Ruby continued their dance.

The music stopped and Ruby and Belle shared a kiss before returning to the table with Emma and Killian. They ate their desserts before Ruby paid for their dinners. Walking back to Main Street, they sat on the curb as they waited for the fireworks show.

As the show started, Emma’s hand slipped into Killian’s as Ruby wrapped her arm around Belle’s shoulder. “Is it everything you thought it would be?” Killian asked Emma as the castle showed projections of various Disney movies.

Emma smiled and put her head on his shoulder. “It’s even better,” she replied. After a few moments, Emma asked, “Killian?”

“Yes, Swan?” Killian asked, grinning at her.

Emma opened and closed her mouth several times. She tried to will herself to say the three words she had wanted to say for a while. Killian looked at her expectantly and finally said, “I uh…I’m glad I’m here with you. It feels like I haven’t been able to truly relax in forever.”

Killian ginned back at her. “You deserve it, love.” They shared a kiss and turned back to watch the rest of the show. Emma had trouble focusing fully on the show, wondering why it was so hard to tell Killian that she loved him. She had been able to say everything but, and she knew that Killian loved her back. Why was it so hard?

As soon as the show ended, the four of them did their last minute shopping as they walked down Main Street towards the park’s entrance. They picked out some souvenirs for themselves before deciding on what to get for Henry and all of their friends and family back in Storybrooke. 

Once they made their purchases, the four of them walked out of the park carrying several bags. They found their way back to the hotel and the two couples went to their separate rooms. Getting ready for bed, they knew that they had another long and exciting day ahead of them tomorrow.


End file.
